The 7 Day Challenge: DAY 6 (MONDAY)

Welcome to the 7 Day Challenge. For 7 days, we are testing our Emergency Preparedness and Food Storage Plans. Each day will bring a NEW mock emergency, or situation that will test at least one of the reasons “WHY” we strive to be prepared! REMEMBER: No going to a store, or spending any money for the entire 7 days! And please feel free to adapt the scenarios to fit your own family and situation.

A horrible hurricane (or earthquake, or other disaster) is about to hit your area. You have to evacuate within minutes and eat out of your 72 hour kits today. While you were gone your house was destroyed. Lots to think about today.Goal: Test your family’s evacuation plan and 72 hour kit foods

Today’s Tasks:

Evacuate your house within 15 minutes of getting today’s email. You do not know if your house will be destroyed while you are gone so plan accordingly. Stay away until after lunchtime

Eat/drink ONLY out of your 72 hour kits until you return home

While you are out, make a list of potential reasons you may be forced to evacuate. For each scenario, write down where you would go, what type of stuff you would need in your kits, how long you’d be gone, etc. Use this list to re-evaluate what you may or may not include in your kits.

Make a list of all of your valuables to submit to your insurance company since your house was destroyed while you were gone (this is more valuable to have BEFORE you actually lose everything)

Using the daily report card, make a list of things you could do/buy to minimize your losses in a complete house loss (i.e. Fireproof/waterproof safe, computer backup options, safety deposit box for valuables, etc.)

SHARING TIME: Post a picture or description of one of your 72 hour kit meals on our facebook page or in the blog comments

Today’s Limitations:

For this day, and ALL days of the challenge: no spending money, no going to stores, and no restaurants

You can’t eat or drink anything besides what is in your 72 hour kits until dinnertime

You must stay away from home until after lunch

Advanced Tasks:

Eat out of your 72 hour kits for dinner too

Evacuate overnight using only supplies from your disaster kit

Contact your insurance company and find out details about what would be covered in a total loss situation like this

REMEMBER, TOMORROW’S CHALLENGE WILL BE DIFFERENT.

Make sure your fill out today’s Report Card to see how well you did, to keep track of areas you can improve, to remember things you need to do, and things you need to buy. Use the data to make a game plan to take you to the next level of preparedness, whatever that may be.

Wow! It took us a half hour to get out – we’ll have to practice that for sure! We forgot to get the frozen water jugs out of the freezer and put them into the rolling cooler; we forgot the toilet kit, and we forgot the tarps; how did we forget coats in the kits? – ‘s okay because we have foil blankets. I need to consolidate, too, because if I was here alone there is no way I could carry this out in one trip – everyone having their own bag is fine if they take them with them everywhere, but if I have to get all of this out, I’d definitely have to make two trips!

NeomaDenise

Ok – I work 12 hour night shifts as an RN. . . came home this morning and checked my email. NO sleep for me today Grabbed our BOB’s and headed to our nearest bug out place. It’s 7 miles from our home and we walked, since in a true disaster , driving may not be feasible. Decided we need to add hiking boots to our BOB’s as I was in my work shoes/scrubs and although my shoes are great on flat surfaces, they were miserable walking on rocks, dirt, hills, etc. Our BOB’s have Zuni traveling food, jerky, hard candies, instant oatmeal, gum, etc. We have clothing changes, but not extra shoes. . . will remedy that ASAP. Also decided to add either decks of cards, small board games or something to entertain – bug out destination has stuff, but if we couldn’t reach in one day’s travel, would be good to have something on hand.

As a side note – we have planted “hidden” gardens along our usual travel routes from work, etc. These are marked in our GPS (and our kids, other family members). So today we grabbed a few ripe tomatoes, green beans as we walked. We also picked a handful of apples and pears at a deserted house (we know the owners who moved, they’ve given us permission and it was on our route).

Liz

I just lived this challenge on Friday when a construction crew yanked the gas line off my neighbors house while digging on the road. They didn’t have it blue staked. The came and told me the gas company wanted us out. I guess I didn’t hurry fast enough because then a guy from the fire dept. came and told me to leave. I was hurrying. My husband who works swing was still in bed and my 6 month old had just gone down for her nap. I had just got my 5 yr old from school and luckily my 3 year had gotten dressed that day. My 16 year old had taken my car to school with all of the car seats. He had just gotten a new cell phone but I hadn’t written down the number yet. I was early out Fri. at school and I new the all my kids would be getting home before we could get back in the house. We went to the park and played until my husband had to leave to work. Then he took me to the park by our elementary school. So I could get my younger kids when they got out of school. My good freind came and got us (my baby, 3 and 5 year old) and took us back to her house. She then went and got my kids from the Jr. High and then my elementary kids from school. We all ended up at her house and she fed us some lunch. It all turned out okay in the end it just made me realize that I need to be better prepared for the short fast evacuations. You never know when they will come. So if they are fixing the road in front of your house go make sure they have blue staked it and they make sure you are ready to leave at a moments notice:)

Idahocntryboy!

I keep a full field pack ready to go along with food. In the military we were taught to take extra dry socks and in the North West that is a must. No one can assume their vehicles will be running and will have to walk. Also a small tarp with stakes in the event of overnight in the woods and fire starting materials. Keep hooks, sinkers and line in your bug out bag. A good chopping knife should be kept or a small hatchet. This bug out bag should be kept in your car. I also keep a little garden heirloom seed in my bag. Make sure you have rain gear in your bag. To make available space I have vacuumed packet all clothing and items that can be compressed. Have a small medical kit as well. I believe if people will train for emergencies there will be less panic when it comes.

This is a big hole in our preparedness plan. We’ve got almost everything covered for staying put, but for bugging out, not so much. For Y2K we put together a “bug out kit.” Haven’t looked at it in years. It had MREs in it, and I think they would still be good, but we’d have to try one to see. So that’s how I’m taking the challenge today — look at our old bug out kits and see if they’re still functional. Fix what isn’t and put them in a place where we can get at them (I’m not even sure where in the garage they actually are anymore!).

http://www.facebook.com/blzrdphoto David Whiting

Can’t do this one at all. Have to work. Couldn’t do this one anyway because we don’t have 72 hour kits. Need to lump on that pronto. I want to get one of those 2 person 72 hour kits from emergency essentials but they are pretty expensive. Worth it but just don’t have the money yet. I should probably just use an old bag we have and fill it with supplies for the time being until I can afford something a little more efficient and complete. I knew I wasn’t as prepared as I should be but wow has this 7 day challenge really opened my eyes. I plan on doing this every year for the rest of my life even if you ladies stop the blog (which I hope doesn’t ever happen)

We’re Jodi and Julie, two busy moms who like to share what we learn while we build and use our Food Storage.
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